Southern Allstars PR
11-12-2010, 03:50 PM
Cleveland, Tennessee – Just as it has for the last decade, Cleveland Speedway’s Gobbler will serve as the stage for the Southern All Stars Dirt Racing Series season finale. The 22nd Edition of the annual November classic will once again pay $5000 to the winner and will ultimately determine the season-long point title. The grueling 11 month schedule began with January’s Super Bowl of Racing at Golden Isles Speedway and will culminate at the final 50 lap event scheduled for Saturday, November 20th. Cleveland will host some preliminary qualifying events for support classes on Friday night the 19th with all features and Southern All Stars activities on Saturday for this Joe Lee Johnson Memorial Weekend.
Defending Series Champion Randy Weaver, of Crossville, Tennessee, sits atop the 2010 standings entering the finale and needs only to make a qualifying attempt to secure his second consecutive title. “You know I started out this year and planned to kind of run a big money event schedule but we had some things change and we found ourselves right back in the thick of this points deal. With all that my team has had to endure and fight through this year I am real proud of where we are at. There is nothing easy about winning one of these races much less a points title. So I am real proud of our season.” Weaver commented.
Weaver has had to spend much of the year chasing Series Rookie Scott Creel of Franklinton, Louisiana. Creel, in just his third full season behind the wheel of a dirt late model, has been a picture of consistency in 2010 and he was able to secure the series Rookie of the Year title with his 10th place finish at the Cochran Motor Speedway event in October. Creel makes no bones about his intent for Cleveland. “All the points stuff is over now. We are coming to Cleveland looking to get the big check and trophy. I feel like we have been so close to getting a win this year and a win at Cleveland would be huge for me and the whole Voodoo Motorsports Team. It will be nice to be able to have all of our focus on going for the win. Now I can afford to go all out and get on that ragged edge and try to make something happen rather than hoping something will happen. We want to finish off the year on a high note and a win would be about as high as it gets.” Creel said.
Weaver and Creel will certainly be contenders but they will face a bevy of strong competition at the legendary third mile Tennessee oval. While many drivers are expected to be in competition, one of the early favorites has to be Jonathan Davenport. Davenport was the winner of Cleveland’s season opening Shamrock and is one of the hottest drivers in the South right now. Davenport has made many laps at Cleveland Speedway and he is looking forward to getting back to one of his home tracks. “We have had an awesome year so far and Cleveland is where it all got started with the Shamrock win. I know there is always a bunch of good cars there but I believe we will definitely be one of the ones to beat. Cleveland is a great racetrack that usually provides a real racy surface so I believe it will be a good show. Hopefully we can be there in Victory Lane at the end of the night.” said Davenport.
Along with Weaver, Creel and Davenport fans can also expect to see series regulars like Hall of Famer Freddy Smith; Somerset, Kentucky’s Doug Smith and Daniel Baggerly of Rural Retreat, Virginia. Other drivers expected to be in competition include national stars like Shane Clanton, Ray Cook, Clint Smith and defending race winner Chris Madden. Add in regional standouts like Skip Arp, Chris Ferguson and David Payne along with a strong contingent of locals led by the likes of 2009 Series Rookie of the Year Todd Morrow, Kevin Gibson, Riley Hickman and Derek Ellis and fans can expect an event nothing short of spectacular.
Friday will feature qualifying and heat races for Limited / Crate Late Models, A-Hobby, B-Hobby, Pony and Front Wheel Drives. Saturday will feature SAS VP Race Fuels Race for the Pole Qualifying, consolation heats and the 50 lap feature along with all the Cleveland Speedway support class features. Gate times are as follows: Pits are scheduled to open at 3:00pm, Stands at 4:00pm and drivers meeting is scheduled for 6:00pm with hot laps to follow.
Cleveland Speedway is located at 420 South Lee Highway in Cleveland, Tennessee. For more information on tickets or directions please visit www.clevelandspeedway.com or call (423) 479-8574. For Series information please visit www.southernallstarsracingseries.com or call (865) 457-9767.
Defending Series Champion Randy Weaver, of Crossville, Tennessee, sits atop the 2010 standings entering the finale and needs only to make a qualifying attempt to secure his second consecutive title. “You know I started out this year and planned to kind of run a big money event schedule but we had some things change and we found ourselves right back in the thick of this points deal. With all that my team has had to endure and fight through this year I am real proud of where we are at. There is nothing easy about winning one of these races much less a points title. So I am real proud of our season.” Weaver commented.
Weaver has had to spend much of the year chasing Series Rookie Scott Creel of Franklinton, Louisiana. Creel, in just his third full season behind the wheel of a dirt late model, has been a picture of consistency in 2010 and he was able to secure the series Rookie of the Year title with his 10th place finish at the Cochran Motor Speedway event in October. Creel makes no bones about his intent for Cleveland. “All the points stuff is over now. We are coming to Cleveland looking to get the big check and trophy. I feel like we have been so close to getting a win this year and a win at Cleveland would be huge for me and the whole Voodoo Motorsports Team. It will be nice to be able to have all of our focus on going for the win. Now I can afford to go all out and get on that ragged edge and try to make something happen rather than hoping something will happen. We want to finish off the year on a high note and a win would be about as high as it gets.” Creel said.
Weaver and Creel will certainly be contenders but they will face a bevy of strong competition at the legendary third mile Tennessee oval. While many drivers are expected to be in competition, one of the early favorites has to be Jonathan Davenport. Davenport was the winner of Cleveland’s season opening Shamrock and is one of the hottest drivers in the South right now. Davenport has made many laps at Cleveland Speedway and he is looking forward to getting back to one of his home tracks. “We have had an awesome year so far and Cleveland is where it all got started with the Shamrock win. I know there is always a bunch of good cars there but I believe we will definitely be one of the ones to beat. Cleveland is a great racetrack that usually provides a real racy surface so I believe it will be a good show. Hopefully we can be there in Victory Lane at the end of the night.” said Davenport.
Along with Weaver, Creel and Davenport fans can also expect to see series regulars like Hall of Famer Freddy Smith; Somerset, Kentucky’s Doug Smith and Daniel Baggerly of Rural Retreat, Virginia. Other drivers expected to be in competition include national stars like Shane Clanton, Ray Cook, Clint Smith and defending race winner Chris Madden. Add in regional standouts like Skip Arp, Chris Ferguson and David Payne along with a strong contingent of locals led by the likes of 2009 Series Rookie of the Year Todd Morrow, Kevin Gibson, Riley Hickman and Derek Ellis and fans can expect an event nothing short of spectacular.
Friday will feature qualifying and heat races for Limited / Crate Late Models, A-Hobby, B-Hobby, Pony and Front Wheel Drives. Saturday will feature SAS VP Race Fuels Race for the Pole Qualifying, consolation heats and the 50 lap feature along with all the Cleveland Speedway support class features. Gate times are as follows: Pits are scheduled to open at 3:00pm, Stands at 4:00pm and drivers meeting is scheduled for 6:00pm with hot laps to follow.
Cleveland Speedway is located at 420 South Lee Highway in Cleveland, Tennessee. For more information on tickets or directions please visit www.clevelandspeedway.com or call (423) 479-8574. For Series information please visit www.southernallstarsracingseries.com or call (865) 457-9767.